We’ve combed through the many, many, many 2020 trend lists and pulled out our top three favorites to keep in mind as we look to finalize 2020 communications plans and strategies. While the meteoric rise of TikTok gets all the splashy coverage (shout out to Reese Witherspoon for bringing it mainstream), we’ve zeroed in on our top three trends that can be implemented now to help brands stay ahead of the social media curve.
We’ve selected these trends because, boy, are they accessible and easy for any brand to implement tomorrow.
Social media is ever-evolving and changing almost daily with new features, tools, terms of service and algorithms being announced and implemented with what seems like every day. With each new app update, platforms are providing brands more ways to connect, engage, track and maximize your online presence. The rules to mastering social media depend on the day, and no matter what the algorithm is, the golden rule is to keep it authentic…and consistent.
Top 3 Social Media Priorities For 2020
1.Think Small for Big Engagement
Research shows that 59% of marketers plan on increasing their influencer budgets in 2020, despite the influencer exhaust we see in the media. In 2019, we saw savvy consumers grow increasingly skeptical of #ads in their feeds. Now, more than ever before, people are seeking reviews from people they trust (even though they may not know them in real life) when making purchasing decisions. And at least three-quarters of those reviews will be on social media.
To navigate this distrust in 2020, we’ll see 2019’s trend of brands collaborating with a network of on-brand, relevant, niche influencers for dynamic campaigns continue to grow. Fewer brands will rightly opt-out of paying for the static post by one celebrity. This approach not only costs less but is a strategic move with Instagram removing likes in late 2019. Tapping into niche influencer networks helps brands guarantee organic engagement, allows for hyper-localized campaigns and still generates that on-brand UGC (user generated content). You can read more from us on this here.
2. Press Play on Video
The importance of *good* video content appears on these lists ever year: If you’re not currently
creating videos and deploying them on social media, it’s high time that you start. Why? Well, according to a study by Cisco, by 2022, 82% of all online content will be video content. So, it’s important for brands to start using video, now, to stay relevant on social channels. But where to start? You can start by using features like Stories both for your social media content and for advertisements. You can also add videos to your posts, even on platforms that were traditionally dominated by image or text content…cough…Facebook…cough.
3. Social Media = Customer Service
Are we surprised? We have been heading in this direction for years. Consumers are becoming more and more dependent on social media channels for all of their customer service woes. It’s a high stakes customer service game, as the complaints and responses are all public. Your answers and conversations need to closely align with brand messaging while also being natural and authentic while solving problems. In 2020, we expect to see more social media customer service specialists.
Indeed, more and more of them will be living under the communications umbrella and working closely with PR, marketing and corporate communications teams. That being said, having a live 24/7 social media customer service team for every single company isn’t realistic. Enter Chatbots. We’ll start seeing companies utilizing chatbot technology…embedded into social channels like Facebook, in combination with live staff, enabling round the clock coverage. And keeping customers happy.
By adopting these three social media tactics this year, and implementing them consistently, you will be moving mountains to keep your brand find-able, current and relevant.
-Jenna Faller